1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device adapted for controlling a display state of a display screen of a computer main body, and more particularly, it relates to an input device allowing an operator to select any one of a plurality of selection items of a pop-up menu displayed on a display screen with an easy operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to select any one of a plurality of selection items of a pop-up menus displayed on a screen of a computer main body, in a state of displaying the respective selection items of the pop-up menu, a desired selection item is highlighted, and the highlighted item is selected by actuating a key switch or the like.
Hitherto, in order to select any one of selection items of a pop-up menu, moving a mouse in one direction so as to move a pointer onto a desired selection item is needed. Also, with use of a flat operation device called an input pad, moving a finger on the input pad so as to move a pointer located on a display screen onto a desired selection item is needed.
A technique of moving a pointer on a screen of a computer main body with an input device is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2001-242974.
In a state of displaying scrollable display information such as a character string along with a pop-up menu, through operation of input means called a wheel, the character string and the like can be scrolled. However, even when the wheel is operated in a state of operating the respective selection items of the pop-up menu, only the character string and the like are scrolled, and any one of the selection items of the pop-up menu is not selected and highlighted.
Likewise, with use of the input pad, in a state in which a pointer is not located on any one of the respective selection items, when a finger is moved on the input pad in one direction, the character string and the like can be scrolled. However, in this case too, even when the finger is moved, any one of the respective selection items of the pop-up menu cannot be highlighted.